The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1887-11-19
Doctor Melrose.

Day by day 1 had seen the lines
of care deepen around my fathers
mouth and forehead, and watched
my mothers pale and anxious gaze
upon him.
Night after night did Maud and |
lie side by side, and spend the hours
when sleep, they tell us, lend us
beauty-in wondering what trouble
was lowering over us.
But the knowledge came all too
soon. My father had lent money
which he supposed he could call in
at any time. The time arrived, but
the money was not forthcoming.
His health was rapidly failing him,
a fact his buiness anxieties in no
way helped, and we soon knew he
must mortgage heavily the farm,
and that if his health continued to
fail he might soon be able to pay
the interest.
Then Maud and L began to hold
our whispered conversations to bet
ter purpose-to decide that we were
strong and healthy, and that such
gifts were given to us to be made
use of. And so it ended in our
sending off a mysterious letter to
our old school teacher, and waiting
and watching days for a reply,
which came at last to tell us she had
succeeded in finding a situation as a
governess, at competency which
to us seemed wealth.
The lady was willing to take any
on her recommendation, and either
Of us, she felt assured, would fill the
role. So she left it to us to decide
-one must 60 one must stay.
At last Maud said it must be she
who would go. She was older than
l and she thought she would be
happier away working than at home
sitting with folded hands. She was
so pretty, so loving and loyable, that
seemed as though we could not let
her go among strangers.
At first father and mother would
not listen to it, but we overruled all
AFFECTION, and Maud wrote and ap-
pointed day for her coming.
The time intervening passed rap
idly away in busy preparations, and
at last the one Sunday left us dawn
ed bright and clear. Maud looked
so lovely that morning in her pretty
hat with its long, dropping feather
that 1 did not wonder the eyes Of d
stranger in the church wandered
persistently to our pew.
He was a tall, handsome man, sit
ting with the Leonards--a name
which in our village, represented its
aristocracy and wealth.
There were gentlemen from the
city visiting there constantly, but
their gaze did not often wander from
the stylish, elegant Leonards to seel
any other attractions.
/ saw them glance around once OF
twice, as if to observe what else il
the church could possibly distract
attention from themselves, and
fear 1 felt more pride in Maud's
beauty than was quite consisten
with the sacred place in which We
were.
But after she had gone, and a
night l went home for the first tim,
to my room alone, l felt that sht
had chosen the better part-that i
was easier to go forth among strang
ers to labor than to sit down quietly
on the vacant hearthstone.
However, 1 soon found plenty fol
heart and hands. My father grew
rapidly worse instead of better, anC
it was hard work so to word my let
ters to Maud that she should no
know of the skeleton in our home
the shadow of coming death.
Her letters were bright and CHEEKY
like herself ; and when at at last
told her father grew no better, she
answered she had met DR.. Melrose
who was a relative of the lady whose
children she taught, and asked him
to go down and see father, and she
would defray the necessary ex
penses.
almost gasped when l read the
name, DIR. Melrose. His fame had
reached even our ears. / wondered
how she could have approached him
with such request but had said
nothing to father of her desire, and
one morning about week later, his
card was put into my hands.
With quick, trembling limbs
hastened down to meet him, and
opened the parlor door to find my
self face to face with the stranger,
who, weeks before had sat in the
Leonards' pew.
My face grew red and pale as
recognized him, but he came for